When the boxes started arriving — stuffed with markers and paper, stickers, novels, and a butterfly garden — it felt like Christmas morning to second-grade teacher Valerie Hart, writes Kristen A. Graham for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Hart typically spends hundreds of dollars every summer on supplies for her students at St. Eugene School in Upper Darby.  This year, the things she needs came through a social media campaign dreamed up by Texas third-grade teacher Courtney Jones.

“I cannot wait to start school and explain to my students how we received these items from many generous people, some friends and family of mine, but others complete strangers,” said Hart.

Jones started #clearthelists in July with a closed Facebook group asking teachers to post classroom wish lists.

Three weeks in, 30,000 educators around the country had joined, buying each other supplies as a way to support their peers.

Her campaign went viral, trending nationally and drawing thousands of donors from beyond the teacher ranks.

Jones now estimates that 400,000 people have participated in the movement.

According to the federal government, 94 percent of U.S. teachers pay for classroom supplies for which they aren’t reimbursed.

Read more about Courtney Jones’ school supply collection here.

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